At Christmas, the Iranian authorities often ramp up pressure on Christians. There tend to be more raids of house church gatherings and arrests of believers at this time of year. So now is the time to refresh our prayers for our brothers and sisters who are facing - or could face - persecution.  Pray for protection, courage and joy for house churches this Christmas. This Christmas numerous people in Iran are in prison because of their faith. You can find here a list of Christians who are known to be imprisoned, but there are others whose cases can't be publicised for security reasons. Other believers are suffering in very difficult circumstances, such as: Those convicted on charges related to their ministry but waiting for their appeal hearing - their future hanging in the balance; Those deprived of work or education because of their faith; Those who have been released from arbitrary detention or imprisonment and are recovering from the harsh treatment they endured.  Pray for encouragement and comfort for those spending Christmas in prison or in other very difficult circumstances because of their faith. Further, some Christians are enduring exile. Some have been exiled as part of their judicial sentence, such as Ebrahim Firouzi, exiled to a remote part of Iran. Others have left Iran as refugees in order to avoid unjust prison sentences.  Pray for Christians who have been forced into exile and are spending Christmas away from home, as well as for the loved ones left behind.